This website on Caribbean volcanoes represents the cooperative work of the two authors over thirty years. The views expressed and almost all of the photographs are those of the authors and do not necessarily agree with the views of other scientists. The site is aimed formost at the populations and administrations of the volcanic islands. Typically the islanders do not have access to scientific journals and international meetings. The data included here is of value to them in understanding their islands and the volcanic hazards present on them. Nowhere in the site are views expressed on management of hazards as this is conducted solely through the Seismic Research Unit in Trinidad that is responsible for directing evacuation. At all costs there should be only one organization handling this aspect so that conflicting instructions are avoided. The site does however make available some of the vast amount of data collected by the authors that can be both incorporated and used in managament plans for hazard mitigation and for education of the island populations.
This website is being produced by John Roobol and Alan Smith, two geologists both from South Wales in the UK who following Ph.D. studies at the Universities of London and California met on Mt. Pelee, Martinique in 1971 and have since worked together on most Caribbean volcanoes. In February 2004 they were working on Dominica island in the middle of the West Indian Active arc investigating the youngest volcanic products of the island and checking a copy of the first geological map of the island. The new map together with an account of the geology of the island will be published later in 2004 by the SEISMIC RESEARCH UNIT of the UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES in Trinidad as a part of the new VOLCANIC HAZARD ATLAS OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
On a friendly visit to Dominica’s Natural Disaster Coordinator Mr. Cecil Shillingford, the ongoing work was discussed and Mr. Shillingford requested immediate access to the data and new map before publication and so the website was born.
